CSA’s project-based learning model is a wonderful way for our learners to learn. However, we want to be sure that all of our students receive adequate skills practice in core classes and are also prepared to succeed in more traditional settings after they leave us. We are going to be introducing small amounts of homework for our learners in a leveled and developmentally appropriate way from 6th through 8th grade, along with some lessons to aid in learning important executive functioning skills while they still have the increased support of middle school.
These assignments are intended to be easily completed at home with minimal assistance – we want to be sure our learners can continue to participate in extracurricular activities and spend time playing or with friends and family. Assignments will either be short or students will have several days to complete them. Often the assignments will be a review of skills, especially in English and Math, where some additional repetition can be crucial to long-term memory and success.
In order to help students prepare for high school, where they are likely to encounter higher expectations for homework and independent study, we will be increasing the homework load throughout middle school. Since this is the first time we are trying this, 8th graders this year will see a few changes throughout the rest of the year.
All these details can be found in the table below:
| Grade | Date Range | Homework Expectation (per week) |
|---|---|---|
| 6th | 1/10 – 5/25/2023 | 1 math, 1 ELA |
| 7th | 1/10 – 5/25/2023 | 2 math, 2 ELA |
| 8th | 1/10 – 2/17/2023 | 2 math, 2 ELA, 1 History |
| 8th | 2/20 – 3/17/2023 | 2 math, 2 ELA, 1 History, 1 Science |
| 8th | 3/27 – 5/25/2023 | Up to 3 math, 3 ELA, 3 History, 3 Science |
Please note that (a) there may be weeks when they don’t have quite as many homework assignments, (b) this is separate from any work a learner brings home because they didn’t complete a class assignment in class as expected; and (c) we may change the pacing or lessen the amount as needed to respond to the needs of our learners.
Remember, we are introducing this in order to help our learners practice this skill and improve their understanding in core classes. We are anticipating that most (if not all) will need some executive functioning lessons and a lot of support at first. One way you can help at home is to ask to see your learner’s planner and initial next to any homework assignments that are written there – this will help improve school/home communication and keep you in the loop about what facilitators are asking for in class. If you have specific concerns about your child, please reach out to the classroom teacher or our Directors with questions/concerns.
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